Beau Brummell and the history of London's Bond Street

Kevin Coyd

From Beau Brummell to Bond Street, discover London's ultimate dandy that graced one of the city's finest postcodes.

Bond Street is a name synonymous with luxury. The half-mile thoroughfare, stretching between Piccadilly and Oxford Street, is where the world’s most prestigious brands have made their London home.

Behind its frontages are eminent auctioneers, fashion houses, art dealers and jewellers – including the salon of Harry Winston, where the company’s finest traditions of jewellery and watchmaking are upheld.

London’s home of luxury

Although one of the most famous addresses in London (and indeed, one of the 22 places to feature on a British Monopoly board) Bond Street is not without its quirks.

Officially speaking, it doesn’t exist at all: the southern section is Old Bond Street, which becomes New Bond Street after its junction with Burlington Gardens.

Its history is an extraordinary one, even by London standards. The earliest part of the street was laid out at the end of the 17th century by Sir Thomas Bond and his associates, who demolished a Piccadilly mansion called Clarendon House to redevelop the land. By the 1720s, it had reached Oxford Street.

The ultimate dandy

The surrounding neighbourhood of Mayfair soon began to attract the cream of society. Bond Street, at its axis, became a place not just to shop for the latest fashions, but to meet, swagger, see and be seen. Its fame reached an apex in the time of the Regency, thanks in great measure to one man: George “Beau” Brummell, the greatest dandy of all.

Making a mark: Beau Brummell was one of London's most stylish figures

In the opening years of the 19th century, Brummell cut a swathe through the so-called “ton” – the highest bracket of polite London society. He counted the Prince Regent among his wide circle of acquaintances, all of whom looked to him as a style model.

Sweeping away the gaudy peacock fashions of the early Georgian age, he insisted on immaculately cut garments that flattered the masculine figure, using only a muted palette of colours. His understated elegance had an influence far beyond London, and many would credit his style philosophy with the eventual rise of the three-piece suit as the classic gentleman’s attire.

An expensive lifestyle

He commissioned several tailors, some based on Bond Street, to make his clothes, so that no single one could boast of his custom. Living in this manner was far from cheap. Brummell once quipped that he needed only “£800 a year” – the equivalent of around £120,000 today – to carry off his look.

Brummell’s downfall was both self-inflicted and severe. When the Prince Regent pretended not to recognise him at a masquerade ball, he alienated the future King by returning the slight, asking Lord Alvanley: “Who’s your fat friend?”

Bond Street salon: where the company’s finest traditions are upheld

Losing royal favour was not nearly as catastrophic as losing his financial honour. It became known that Brummell could not pay the vast gambling debts he had accrued, and he fled to France in May 1816.

Posthumous popularity

His years in exile brought ill-health, penury (including a spell in a debtor’s prison) and eventually madness. Beau Brummell died in a Normandy asylum on 30 March, 1840. Few people in London, the city he had once enthralled and scandalised, even knew of his passing.

However, Brummell’s star soon began to rise again. After his death, he appeared in the writings of Conan Doyle, TS Eliot and countless others. In the 20th century, stars including Stewart Granger and Peter Cushing portrayed him on stage and screen. Above all, his revolutionary contribution to men’s fashion is now widely recognised – and nowhere more than in the exclusive boutiques and salons of Bond Street.

A very modern salon

The Harry Winston salon at 171 New Bond Street has reopened its doors after a lavish refurbishment. Its location, between Burlington Gardens and Grafton Street, ranks among the most sought-after addresses in the capital – and one that has long been associated with fine jewellery.

The salon in the heart of Mayfair originally opened in July 2006, and its design was intended to echo that of the flagship premises at 718 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Opened in 1960 by Harry Winston himself, this landmark building remains the company’s creative headquarters and houses its workshop, design studio and archives.

During its renewal, the London salon received a contemporary facelift while retaining all the design cues that mark it out as quintessentially Harry Winston. Colours throughout are soft taupe and grey, with hand-beaded walls and bespoke chandeliers. The private selling rooms offer a discreet environment in which to enjoy the highest standards of personalised service.

It’s an appropriately elegant showcase for the exquisite jewellery and timepieces that have carried the name of Harry Winston to all corners of the world.